An empty street in Vancouver, Canada, amid the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Ottawa (VNA) – The Embassy of Vietnam in Canadahas asked Vietnamese citizens living here to avoid non-essential travel fromhome, particularly outside Canada or between parts of the country, as the novelcoronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues spreading.
The embassy advised Vietnamese people to only travel if thesituation is urgent and to rigorously comply with regulations and instructionsset by the local government, it said in a statement released on March 22.
On the same day, Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu saidthe government of Canada will use tough enforcement measures, which include thethreat of prison and massive fines, if people don’t take self-quarantine andpractice social distancing as required.
Over the weekend, local social media displayed images ofpeople gathering on beaches and in parks and restaurants despite the fact thatall provinces and territories have declared states of emergency or publichealth emergency to slow the spread of the virus.
However, the federal government’s approach is to call onpeople to voluntarily adhere to the rules which include a 14-day self-quarantine for those returning from abroad.
As of 6pm on March 22, Canada reported 1,430 confirmedcases, with 20 fatalities./.
VNA
